If you are driving on recently repaired roads around the south coast of the North Island, or along the Ākitio River in the Tararua District, you may notice the hexagonal shapes that are the hallmark of an innovative new product offering an alternative solution to traditional methods of dealing with erosion.
Originally called EcoReef®, the 620kg fibre cement blocks, now called HEX-LOC®, were the brainchild of engineer, farmer and inventor Fred Waiker.
Living in Wellington, and travelling frequently to his farm at Cape Palliser, Fred knew first-hand the vulnerability of its south-facing coastal road that washed out every time there was a weather event, isolating the community for as long as it took to repair it.
Taking inspiration from the natural environment, Fred designed the hexagonal blocks, which can be interlocked to provide a solid single structure with infinite design options for adapting to any project or solution.
Metco Engineering worked closely with Fred to come up with the moulds that turned the concept into the replicable product it is today, and the first consignment of blocks was made in Masterton by Deco Precasters.
When the Cape Palliser road was out by a storm in 2023, the council came on board and HEX LOC was used for its repair.
“We couldn’t have chosen a better location if we were looking for proof of concept. In May this year a massive storm came in from the Antarctic with sustained 120kph winds across the Cook Strait, and the HEX-LOC® structure stood up incredibly well…”
whereas the more traditionally used Rip Rap was annihilated,” says Rachael Mackman, business development manager HEX-LOC®NZ Ltd.
Precast concrete manufacturer and civil projects contractor Lattey Group was so impressed with its potential that it purchased the EcoReef® rights and intellectual property, renaming it HEX-LOC® to capture its two essential features – its hexagonal shape and its interlocking nature.
Lattey Group’s plan is simple: take the product to the next level and fully realise Fred’s overall vision of providing a Kiwi-made, cost-effective solution to protect New Zealand’s coastlines and internal infrastructure, whilst driving job growth across regional areas of the country.
HEX-LOC® blocks are easy to install, environmentally friendly, and adaptable to various site conditions.
They require minimal foundations, and are generally filled using locally sourced materials such as sand or gravel, which goes on to support plant growth.
In 2025, HEX LOC® was used to remedy an ongoing erosion issue on the Ākitio River, which began four years earlier when the river and adjoining road suffered a significant slip on a tight bend during a storm event in 2021.
Working closely with the local council, Fred, HEX-LOC® and Lattey Group achieved the innovative solution to the river’s severe erosion challenges, using over 1100 HEX-LOC® units to reinstate the critical roading infrastructure.
Lattey Group’s confidence in the product was further reinforced when its use of HEX-LOC® at Ākitio River won this year’s Concrete NZ Concrete Construction Award for Excellence in Concrete Innovation while still under the brand.
The successful collaboration between “a local inventor, contractor, and council” using EcoReef®/ HEX-LOC® blocks was recognised in the Judges’ Citation for its “restoration of what is a rural lifeline while enhancing ecological outcomes and respecting iwi values”.
They went on to underline that this “home-grown solution exemplifies the creative potential of concrete when paired with practical insight and community collaboration. A transformative project with national relevance and future-facing impact”.
Lattey Group is bringing HEX-LOC® to the market through a licensee network that will manufacture the blocks across the country, further adding to the product’s sustainability.
“We want them to be manufactured locally, so they’re not having to be transported, but also part of Fred’s vision was around driving employment in the regions,” says Rachael.
Fred himself, with the original manufacturing company DECO, holds the licence for the Wellington region, and Metco Engineering continues to make the moulds for all the licensees that join the network.
The result of an innovative solution to a specific problem HEX-LOC® has proven its capacity for reducing and mitigating environmental impact at the same time as it reduces build time and delivers solutions at a fraction of the cost of traditional infrastructure projects.
© Waterford Press Ltd 2026 – Independent Print Media New Zealand.
